Lobster industry denies quotas needed

YARMOUTH — The lobster industry in southwestern Nova Scotia has taken exception to comments attributed to a former federal fisheries minister that it might now be time talk about imposing quotas on lobster fishermen.

That would be disastrous, said Mark Surette of the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association.

He said some fishermen could likely fill a quota in a few days while others might fish for an entire season and not come close to filling a quota.

Lobster stocks are now as strong as they have ever been with big catches in most areas each year.

Quotas are usually imposed as a conservation measure when a particular fishery is in decline, he said.

“The (lobster) resource itself is in a healthy state,” said Surette.

In a published report from late December, Shea, now Minister of National Revenue, is quoted as suggesting it might be time for the lobster industry to look at implementing boat quotas.

The Prince Edward Island newspaper story noted that Shea said a discussion would have to begin with the industry, as it looks at its own future viability.

A quota system would be detrimental to the industry, said Surette.

“There would be no incentive at all to work on the quality side of this,” he said.

Pubnico fisherman and lobster industry spokesman Jeff d'Entremont said Friday in a news release, that a DFO document states, in part, “if resource users want to change established arrangements they will do so cooperatively, negotiating among themselves rather than requiring Fisheries and Oceans Canada to intervene.”

It is quite obvious that Shea consulted no one in the industry to hear their views before she suggested the lobster industry consider implementing a quota system, said d'Entremont.

In an email, Ashfield's press secretary, Barbara Mottram, said government supports stakeholder involvement when it comes to developing long term solutions to improve the prosperity of the lobster industry.